Yahoo Finance A number of insiders bought Absolute Software Corporation (TSE:ABST) stock last year, which is great news for shareholders
Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of Absolute Software Corporation (TSE:ABST), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
See our latest analysis for Absolute Software
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Absolute Software
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO, President & Director Christy Wyatt for CA$134k worth of shares, at about CA$14.78 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of CA$11.91. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.
While Absolute Software insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. Their average price was about CA$13.02. This is nice to see since it implies that insiders might see value around current prices. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
Absolute Software is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Does Absolute Software Boast High Insider Ownership?
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 1.2% of Absolute Software shares, worth about CA$7.2m, according to our data. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!
So What Does This Data Suggest About Absolute Software Insiders?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Absolute Software shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Absolute Software stock. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (1 is a bit concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Absolute Software.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
